Portable handling implement



May 14, 1963 R. M. FORTSON ETAL 3, 2

PORTABLE HANDLING IMPLEMENT Filed Dec. 26, 1961 22 38 INVENTORS 535% 3JACOB J. GRESKOFF n\ s\\\\\\\\\\(\\\% O RICHARD M. FORTSON ATTORNEYUnited States Patent 3,089,723 PORTABLE HANDLING IMPLEMENT Richard M.Fortson, Philadelphia, and Jacob J. Creskoif,

Wynnewood, Pa., assignors to Vacuum Concrete Corporation of America,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 26, 1961,Ser. No. 162,119 13 Claims. (Cl. 294-65) This invention relates to aportable handling implement and constitutes an advance in the art oversuch patents as those in the name of Karl P. Billner 2,455,650, datedDecember 7, 1948, and 2,578,220, dated December 11, 1951.

The portable handling implement contemplated by the present inventionemploys the use of vacuum and is eminently suited for the handling oflarge heavy rolls of paper of the types used by publishingestablishments.

With respect to vacuum lifters of the prior art, the device of thepresent invention is more positive, provides a more rapid initialattachment to the load, involves less leakage and accordingly requires asmaller pump and supports a given load for a greater length of timefollowing pump failure.

With respect to prior art lifters of the types employed for handlingpaper rolls, the present invention avoids the damage so frequentlyencountered with hydraulically actuated jaws, the present inventionapplies the force uniformly over a much larger surface of the load andaccordingly, a relatively large lifting force can be applied withoutadversely affecting the load.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a portablehandling implement comprising a plate, a compressible resilientelastomeric sealing gasket having interconnected cells secured to onesurface of the plate and defining therewith an open chamber, asubstantially incompressible air impervious resilient elastomeric flapadhesively secured under tension to the gasket and extendingperipherally therebeyond, means communicating with the chamber throughthe plate for exhausting the same, and support means carried by theplate. Elastomeric means is preferably adhesively secured to the platebut free relative to the gasket to restrain lateral movement of thegasket and preferably such elastomeric means for restraining lateralmovement of the gasket is located on opposite sides of the gasket. Inaccordance with the embodiment of the invention particularly intendedfor the handling of paper rolls, the plate is preferably arcuate andassumes a substantially cylindrical curvature. The plate is preferablyflexible and resilient so as to adapt itself to rolls of varying sizes.In order to limit deflection of the plate, reinforcing means ispreferably carried by the support. The support preferably includescoupling means providing a limited degree of freedom of movement of theimplement in all directions relative to a load to be handled. Thecommunicating means preferably includes a normally closed spring biasedvalve having an operator extending beyond the chamber for actuation byengagement with a load to be handled. The implement preferably includescompressible resilient elastomeric supports having interconnected cellssecured to the surface of the plate within the chamber so as to avoidexcessive deflection of any portion of the plate under operatingconditions.

A more complete understanding of the invention will follow from adescription of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an end elevation of a portable handling implement embodyingthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the implement of FIG. 1;

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FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the implement depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the implement depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken along line 55 of FIG.2 on an enlarged scale; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on an enlarged scale takenalong line 66 of FIG. 2.

The portable handling implement comprises a plate 10 of arcuateconfiguration whose curvature may be substantially cylindrical. To theconcave surface of the plate which may be composed of steel or suchother material as will display flexibility and resilience, there isadhesively attached a compressible resilient elastomeric sealing gasket12 defining with the plate an open chamber 14. Adhesively secured to aportion of the surface 16 of the gasket remote from the plate is asubstantially incompressible air impervious resilient elastomeric flap18 attached to the gasket while the flap is under tension so that therewill be a minimum of curling of the flap. The fact that the flap isplaced under tension during its assembly constitutes a very importantdeparture from the prior art disclosures and serves to close all gapsbetween the load and the implement prior to the time that the vacuumbecomes fully effective between the implement and the load.

The gasket 12 is restrained from lateral movement by means of inner andouter elastomeric flaps 20 and 22 respectively, composed ofsubstantially incompressible air impervious material adhesively securedto the concave surface of the plate 10 contiguous to the gasket 12 butnot adhesively joined to the gasket so that there will be nointerference with the compression of the gasket '12 under load. Whereasthe flap 18 and the stops 20 and 22 are substantially incompressible andair impervious resilient elastomers such as neoprene, the gasket 12assumes the form of a sponge having relatively small interconnectedcells enabling it to become highly compressed by the expulsion of airfrom the cells under load. The material constituting the gasket whichmay also be neoprene preferably has an average cell diameter of theorder of 0.01 inch as compared with gasket materials previously proposedwith much larger average cell diameters of the order of inch. Theoriginal thickness of the gasket 12 may be of the order of one inchwhereas its thickness under load may be as little as one-half inch. Inorder to avoid any possible contact between the plate 10 and the load tobe handled, intermediate supports 24 are secured to the concave surfaceof the plate 10 within the chamber 14, their ends terminating short ofthe gasket 12 to assure freedom of fluid flow from the chamber upon theapplication of a subatmospheric pressure through a tubular connector 26extending through the plate 10. The intermediate supports 24 arecomposed of sponge like the gasket 12 and their thickness issubstantially equal to that of the gasket 12.

As shown in FIG. 6, the coupling 26 is secured, as by welding to a pad28 which is in turn secured, as by welding, to the convex surface of theplate 10. A sponge elastomeric seat 30 surrounds the fitting 26 withinthe chamber 14 for cooperation with a leaf spring type of valve 32pivotally positioned by a rod 34. The valve 32 is shown in its openposition in FIG. 6 while in FIG. 2 it is depicted in its normal closedposition. When the valve is closed, its left end 36 as viewed in FIG. 6projects forwardly for engagement with the load as the implement ismoved into position. Such engagement causes the operator to move towardsthe plate 10 so as to move the right end 38, as viewed in FIG. 6 awayfrom the seat 30 to permit air Within the chamber 14 to be removed asresult of the reduced pressure produced by the vacuum pump, not shown.Due to its composition, the valve 32 possesses the properties of aspring so as to return to its closed position whenever the operator end36 is free to move away from the plate. Both ends of the valve 32 arecovered with a thin layer of elastomeric material adhesively securedthereto so as to avoid damage to the load being handled.

Substantially along the center line of the convex surface of the platethere is welded a rib 40 to which, in turn, a pair of angles 42 arewelded. Substantially centrally of the angles 42, a pair of hemispheres44 are welded so as to admit between them a lifting element such as thetongue 46 of a lift truck. In order to provide freedom of movement, to alimited degree, in all directions, it is contemplated that the tongue 46contain an opening slightly exceeding that of a coupling bolt 48 whereasthe hemispheres 44 contain openings substantially larger than thediameter of the coupling bolt. In this manner, when the implement isbrought into contact with the load, the implement will adjust itself tothe configuration and position of the load without requiring excessivemanipulation of the truck.

Depending from the lower angle 42 as shown in FIG. 1, there are twoarcuate ribs 50 welded thereto and welded to an arcuate apron 52. At thelower ends of the arcuate ribs 50 and the apron 52 there is Welded a rod54 extending substantially throughout the length of the plate 10 so asto prevent excessive deflection of the plate 10. Inasmuch as the plate10 is somewhat flexible so as to adapt itself to cylindrical objects ofvarying diameter, it will follow that if the permissible deflection ofthe plate were not limited in some fashion, there would be danger of itsbecoming excessively flattened to a degree that might produce leakageand loss of the load.

Inasmuch as the gasket 12, intermediate supports 24 and stops 20 and 22are all composed of elastomeric materials, the implement as an entiretyis relatively uniformly flexible so as to conform most readily with theloads to be handled. Since the flap 18 is stretched so as to be appliedunder tension to its ultimate position, there is no tendency for it tobecome corrugated or curled so that there is a minimum danger of leakageduring the initial stages of application of the implement to a load.

Whereas only one specific form of the invention has been described withreference to the accompanying drawings, variations suggesting themselvesto those skilled in the art are contemplated within the scope of theappended claims.

We claim:

1. A portable handling implement comprising a plate, a compressibleresilient elastomeric sealing gasket having interconnected cells securedto one surface of said plate and defining therewith an open chamber, asubstantially incompressible air impervious resilient elastomeric flapadhesively secured under tension to said gasket and extendingperipherally therebeyond, means communicating with said chamber throughsaid plate for exhausting the same, and support means carried by saidplate.

2. A portable handling implement according to claim 1 includingelastomeric means secured to said plate but free relative to said gasketrestraining lateral movement of said gasket.

3. A portable handling implement according to claim 1 includingelastomeric means secured to said plate on opposite sides of said gasketand free relative to said gasket restraining lateral movement of saidgasket.

4. A portable handling implement according to claim lwherein said plateis arcuate.

5. A portable handling implement according to claim 1 wherein said plateis substantially cylindrical.

6. A portable handling implement according to claim 1 wherein said plateis flexible and resilient.

7. A portable handling implement according to claim 1 whereinreinforcing means carried by said support means limits deflection ofsaid plate.

8. A portable handling implement according to claim 1 wherein saidsupport includes coupling means providing a limited degree of freedom ofmovement of said implement in all directions relative to a load to behandled.

9. A portable handling implement according to claim 1 wherein saidcommunicating means includes a normally closed spring biased valvehaving an operator extending beyond said chamber for actuation byengagement with a load to be handled.

10. A portable handling implement according to claim 1 includingcompressible resilient elastomeric supports having interconnected cellssecured to said surface of said plate within said chamber.

11. A portable handling implement comprising an arcuate plate, acompressible resilient elastomeric sealing gasket having interconnectedcells secured to one surface of said plate and defining therewith anopen chamber, an air impervious resilient elastomeric flap adhesivelysecured to said gasket and extending peripherally therebeyond, rneanscommunicating with said chamber through said plate for exhausting thesame, support means carried by said plate, and reinforcing means carriedby said support means limiting deflection of said plate.

12. A portable handling implement according to claim 11 wherein saidplate is substantially cylindrical.

13. A portable handling implement according to claim 11 wherein saidreinforcing means is normally spaced from said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,578,220 Billner Dec. 11, 1951

1. A PORTABLE HANDLING IMPLEMENT COMPRISING A PLATE, A COMPRESSIBLE RESILIENT ELASTOMERIC SEALING GASKET HAVING INTERCONNECTED CELLS SECURED TO ONE SURFACE OF SAID PLATE 